Both are defined to be a set of computers that work together and give the end users a perception of a single computer running behind it.
So what is the difference here?
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7As far as I understand, a cluster is usually a distributed system which is managed as a single unit within the same local network. Unlike, e.g., globally distributed or P2P systems.– berealCommented Jan 27, 2014 at 10:33
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(That said, this is rather a question for serverfault).– berealCommented Jan 27, 2014 at 10:34
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1 Answer
What is the difference between a car and a sports car? A cluster is a system, usually managed by a single company. Clusters have normally a very low latency and consist of server hardware. A distributed system can be anything. Having JS on the client and PHP-server code which makes up together a system is already called a distributed system by some people.
In general when working with distributed systems you work a lot with long latencies and unexpected failures (like mentioned in p2p systems). When building a cluster (or a big cluster which can be called supercomputer) you try to prevent it by using more robust hardware and better network interconnection (InfiniBand). But nevertheless, a cluster is still a distributed system. (A sports car still has 4 wheels and an engine)
